Take a very real walk on the shore with me as I bring along for a virtual walk @marionbowes who was kind enough to talke me on a virtual run with her in Canada
As @marionbowes was kind enough to take me for a virtual run, the only sort of 'run' I actually get up to, being a bit more of a rambler and walker than I ever have been a runner, I figured I'd take she and you along with me today on my cold walk.
The past week it has actually been rather warm for coastal New England but with heavy rains and thunderstorms everyday. Today was the first day the sun peeked out and I could head down to our beach for a short ramble. And it is a short one, as it was quite chilly today so I focused more on what I could see rather than how far I could go.
As I head down the path to our beach I turn towards our neighbours dock.
We have many variety of shore birds here, more so in Summer, but a fair amount throughout the seaosn. This chilly morning, other than my virtual friend @marionbowes I was simply joined by this little chappy. The lone seagull, following along in the cold waters wondering why I wasn't dropping him any lush human treats.
Sorry, buddy, although I have my old worn Barbour on, and I bet if I had checked the pockets would have been lined with random chicken scratch and possibly an odd quail egg or two. I mean to get a wonderful egg apron like @lyndsaybowes sports, but I always end up filling the pockets of my old weather beaten quilted Barbour instead. I have, indeed, been out with it on to a quick jaunt to the feed store and found an egg in the pocket. Well, when one is the crazy quail lady, what is one to expect, but I digress.
As we get closer to this dock I'll stop and let you see all the wonderful mussels and oysters that grow wild round here. We are lucky in that this point is private and so such things really grow and grow. Here you can see them clustered tight in the mud as the tide is well out right now.
These delicious shellfish are a great addition to our small homestead. We needn't do a think to grow them and harvesting them is just a matter of putting on the wellies in this type of weather (or in your bare feet and your bathingsuit before returning home for the day in Summer) and your trusty flathead screwdriver. There is usually one kept in the old rusty bucket by the big rock where we let our 'sea treasures' dry. Handy too, that.
There are local shellfish farmers who do seed oysters in the little harbour. Here, let's go up onto the dock, Grey's dock we call it, as it has been in the Grey's family for generations and they are our lovely neighbours. There you can see one of their floats with the little shack on. When they are harvesting their crop in summer, they haul up their big cages of shellfish and process them on there.
Now heading back down to the sand, watch yourself there, the dock rises as at an odd angle and on a cold day like today even sea water can freeze. And here, at the shore line, you can see this conch shell glistening in the icy briny sea.
See how the salt hay is shorn by Father wind and Mother nature? You can stick your hand in the icy drink if you like, but you are used to such temperatures @marionbowes in your coastal Canadian town, are you not?
Now, it's brisk down here and we are dreaming of hot coffee and a warm fire, so let's turn to towards land again. There we can see another neighbours dock, The Fishman (Yes, they have heard ALL the sea/fish jokes about their name, Most of them from me!). The tide being out makes it look a funny thing all stilts and barnacles.
You can see a bit of their rather modern house in the back amongst the trees. They are mainly Summer people, as are most of our neighbours, but they are only in Boston so they make it down for the odd weekends with their dogs in tow. We might see them on the road today with one of them, but then I remember it is a weekday, so now, they'll be city folk today. Not like you and I, @marionbowes, country ladies out for a stroll, enjoying the brisk salt air.
It is getting cold, isn't it, let's make this walk shorter and take the old brick path back up to the road. This path has been here since late 1890s when the old Grey Mansion was still standing. IT was a giant old White Elephant far to big for the present day Greys to afford to heat or keep up for Summers only with attics for servants that have long been far too expensive to keep compared to their Victorian forebears.
Now, look back once we are on the path and see the sea behind us. Lovely isn't it? Let's hurry back home to a nice warm fire and a hot cuppa.
Now, as we head home, what is that? The lovely sent of wood smoke? Has @winstonalden been a dear and lit the fire in the big old stone fireplace for us to warm our cold toes upon? Hmmm, seems like billowing smoke coming out of our old Pool Hole doesn't it.
Heavens, fellow walkers and @marionbowes could it be witches or spirits calling up the spirits lost at sea?
Ah, no, it is @winstonalden deep in the old pool hole in his worn out Nantucket reds (we pride ourselves on being characters at all times of the day) using the leaf blower to get a roaring fire going in the pool hole.
It is that time of year in Spring many New Englanders look forward to: Burn Season. In fact so treasured is it that my Mother in Law always makes sure her pilgrimage from Flordia back to New England happens in April before the end of Burn season so she can partake of this wondrous tradition.
Well, I hope all of you and especially you @marionbowes have enjoyed our short #walkwithme today. It has been a lovely one and we shall do it again, and perhaps a longer one as well, when the temps begin to rise. And a Happy Valentine's Day to all.
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